… This stuff is supposed to be fun. Right now, it is not.
… Someone texted me during and after the game commenting about what a meltdown it was for Texas Tech. I could not have disagreed more with that. Suggesting anything melted means there needed to be a fire of some sort and there just was not anything close to it for the Red Raiders on Saturday. It was like trying to squeeze a lighter to light candles on a birthday cake and you tried lighting and shaking that thing for almost sixty minutes with no result.
… Better yet, yesterday was like being placed in a good old-fashioned wrasslin’ sleeper hold. But the intent wasn’t to put you to sleep immediately, rather to do it slowly and methodically so you suffered. Rowdy Roddy Piper used this hold and yesterday, Matt Campbell, Brock Purdy, Breece Hall, JaQuan Bailey, Will McDonald and a phalanx of six, huge tight ends played the role of Roddy Piper yesterday. As Iowa State channeled their inner Roddy Piper, it completely sucked the energy out of this group of Red Raiders. My observation was it was way too quiet there just wasn’t much energy. Not fun. Not fun at all.
… Texas Tech totaling 95 yards of offense through three quarters and failing to convert a single one of its 10 third-down opportunities sums this game up as much as anything.
… I somewhat expected to see Henry Colombi start the second half for the Red Raiders. I’m sure the playcalling, the reads, the ankle, the PTSD from previous games versus Iowa State all played a factor at some level in the offense’s performance, but I just figured it couldn’t hurt to try Colombi. You needed a spark. I asked Matt Wells after the game if he considered making a change sooner than he did and he indicated he had not. I know there is a lot that goes into changing quarterbacks but, at this point, something needs to change. If this isn’t it, I’m not exactly sure what other button there is to push.
… Here are some sobering stats for this offense. Going back to the last two possessions versus Texas and including these last two road trips the Red Raiders have scored on four of their last 24 possessions, just 16 percent of the time. All four scoring drives were led by Columbi. Those 24 possessions include 10 punts, two missed field goals, two interceptions, two end of halves and four on downs. It just isn’t clicking right now and a change at quarterback certainly won’t hurt, but it might not be the only change needed.
… Alan Bowman has gotten a ton of criticism and understandably so. It comes with playing that position, especially at this school. But I’m just as confused and concerned with what is going on with SaRodorick Thompson. These last two weeks, he hasn’t been the best back on the team. He needs to be a reason why the Red Raiders figure out things on offense, not another reason why it isn’t working. Hopefully he gets it going in two weeks.
… While the defense didn’t play well at times, they were on the field for 86 Iowa State plays and 40 minutes of actual game time. When they did finally get a takeaway, the offense gave it back four plays later and turned it over on downs.
… While it has worked on occasion, this offense needs something different on third down other than a quick slant to T.J. Vasher. Iowa State batted one down, nearly picked-six another and Vasher couldn’t hold onto a third one. The Cyclones knew it was coming each time.
… I will say this, I like some of these freshman wideouts. Ja’Lynn Polk and Myles Price both have some fire to them. Neither is quiet about anything they do and I like that.
… Would KeSean Carter have made any kind of difference? Possibly, but other than Carter, there wasn’t anyone else missing from yesterday that was expected to play. This was your complete team other than Carter.
… More on the quarterback numbers. Alan Bowman ran the offense for 37 plays for 134 yards at 3.6 yards per play while Colombi ran the offense for 19 plays for 136 yards and 7.1 yards per play. Again, at this point this is something they’ll have to take a long look at during the bye week. Make a change? Play both? I really don’t care who plays. Like everyone else, I’m tired of losing. I just want to win.
… It is fair to criticize everyone and everything about this football program right now. I get it. I hate this part of it, because I like really these guys but I get it. It comes with the territory and the salary. Winning at this level is all that matters, period.
… Someone texted me during and after the game commenting about what a meltdown it was for Texas Tech. I could not have disagreed more with that. Suggesting anything melted means there needed to be a fire of some sort and there just was not anything close to it for the Red Raiders on Saturday. It was like trying to squeeze a lighter to light candles on a birthday cake and you tried lighting and shaking that thing for almost sixty minutes with no result.
… Better yet, yesterday was like being placed in a good old-fashioned wrasslin’ sleeper hold. But the intent wasn’t to put you to sleep immediately, rather to do it slowly and methodically so you suffered. Rowdy Roddy Piper used this hold and yesterday, Matt Campbell, Brock Purdy, Breece Hall, JaQuan Bailey, Will McDonald and a phalanx of six, huge tight ends played the role of Roddy Piper yesterday. As Iowa State channeled their inner Roddy Piper, it completely sucked the energy out of this group of Red Raiders. My observation was it was way too quiet there just wasn’t much energy. Not fun. Not fun at all.
… Texas Tech totaling 95 yards of offense through three quarters and failing to convert a single one of its 10 third-down opportunities sums this game up as much as anything.
… I somewhat expected to see Henry Colombi start the second half for the Red Raiders. I’m sure the playcalling, the reads, the ankle, the PTSD from previous games versus Iowa State all played a factor at some level in the offense’s performance, but I just figured it couldn’t hurt to try Colombi. You needed a spark. I asked Matt Wells after the game if he considered making a change sooner than he did and he indicated he had not. I know there is a lot that goes into changing quarterbacks but, at this point, something needs to change. If this isn’t it, I’m not exactly sure what other button there is to push.
… Here are some sobering stats for this offense. Going back to the last two possessions versus Texas and including these last two road trips the Red Raiders have scored on four of their last 24 possessions, just 16 percent of the time. All four scoring drives were led by Columbi. Those 24 possessions include 10 punts, two missed field goals, two interceptions, two end of halves and four on downs. It just isn’t clicking right now and a change at quarterback certainly won’t hurt, but it might not be the only change needed.
… Alan Bowman has gotten a ton of criticism and understandably so. It comes with playing that position, especially at this school. But I’m just as confused and concerned with what is going on with SaRodorick Thompson. These last two weeks, he hasn’t been the best back on the team. He needs to be a reason why the Red Raiders figure out things on offense, not another reason why it isn’t working. Hopefully he gets it going in two weeks.
… While the defense didn’t play well at times, they were on the field for 86 Iowa State plays and 40 minutes of actual game time. When they did finally get a takeaway, the offense gave it back four plays later and turned it over on downs.
… While it has worked on occasion, this offense needs something different on third down other than a quick slant to T.J. Vasher. Iowa State batted one down, nearly picked-six another and Vasher couldn’t hold onto a third one. The Cyclones knew it was coming each time.
… I will say this, I like some of these freshman wideouts. Ja’Lynn Polk and Myles Price both have some fire to them. Neither is quiet about anything they do and I like that.
… Would KeSean Carter have made any kind of difference? Possibly, but other than Carter, there wasn’t anyone else missing from yesterday that was expected to play. This was your complete team other than Carter.
… More on the quarterback numbers. Alan Bowman ran the offense for 37 plays for 134 yards at 3.6 yards per play while Colombi ran the offense for 19 plays for 136 yards and 7.1 yards per play. Again, at this point this is something they’ll have to take a long look at during the bye week. Make a change? Play both? I really don’t care who plays. Like everyone else, I’m tired of losing. I just want to win.
… It is fair to criticize everyone and everything about this football program right now. I get it. I hate this part of it, because I like really these guys but I get it. It comes with the territory and the salary. Winning at this level is all that matters, period.
